A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the xerographic reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates generally to video databases. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a method and system for providing a video database that can be sorted to produce an individualized, user-configurable video presentation.
Film and video have long been used to document athletic performances. It is now customary for coaches and players to review films of their performances, as well as of their competitors"" performances.
Films and videos of athletic events are also commonly used by scouts and recruiters to locate talented players. However, these tapes must be manually compiled and edited for review. For example, a video tape of a football game must be heavily edited if the reviewer only wishes to view the performance of an individual player.
It has not been readily possible for a scout or recruiter to search through video records of many games, such as a season, to view only the performance of a selected player or type of play. In addition, statistical information relating to the selected player must be separately provided.
It is known in the prior art to link an informational database to a video database. For example, a method for annotating full motion digital video frames is described in King, et al, Method and Apparatus for Annotating Full Motion Video and Other Indexed Data Structures, U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,775. The King process provides graphical, textual, and digital element overlays for the digital video frames. On video playback, the annotations are displayed on the originally annotated frames.
The King process is therefore directed to superimposing a graphical or textual display over the video, or appending an audio soundtrack thereto. However, the King process does not teach a method for synchronizing a plurality of video frames. Thus, it is not readily possible to immediately switch from one video tape view to a different video tape view of the same event.
Furthermore, the King process does not disclose a method or system for indexing a plurality of video frames with an informational database to permit the display on demand of video frames and data relating to any individual who appears in at least one video frame.
It would therefore be an advantage to provide a method and system for indexing an informational database to a video record. It would be a further advantage if such method and system permitted the synchronization for rapid display of multiple video tape views of an event. It would be yet another advantage if such method and system created a database that could be searched for video records and information relating to any individual who appears in a part of the video record.
The present invention provides a method and system for indexing, sorting, and displaying a video database. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is adapted for use in indexing the video display of one or more sporting events, such as a season of league football games. However, it is readily apparent that the method and system according to the present invention can also be used to index, sort, and display video recordings of other types of events, including but not limited to theatrical performances, musical events, or political speeches.
The present invention includes hardware and software components, and implements a novel encoding process to provide a searchable video and informational database. The present invention can be implemented using any suitable computer system, including one or more personal computers, a xe2x80x9cdumbxe2x80x9d terminal, a network of interconnected computers, a personal digital assistant, an intranet system, or the Internet. In addition, the present invention uses at least one database to store the video database, as well as any other information to be indexed thereto. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, five encoding levels are used to enter data into at least one searchable computer database. An intelligent scene detection process can also be used to automate any or all of the encoding processes. Each encoder and the User use specially configured graphical user interfaces (GUI s) to access the system.
Each level has its own designated security-encoding status. Thus, each level can be accessed only by entering the correct LogIn name and Password. The present invention implements security and administration protocols to provide remote and secure access to the database by encoders, Users, as well as by technical support and system maintenance personnel.
In a first encoding level, the component clips of a videotape are determined and named using a file naming protocol. This information is then batch encoded and stored to one or more system databases.
In a second encoding level, all play information is indexed. Jersey numbers for the players in each video clip are entered into the database in the third encoding level. In alternative embodiments, other information such as identifying symbols can also be entered into the database in the third encoding level. The third encoder also assigns a MasterPlayerId to each player in the database. This MasterPlayerId is used to index all video clips and information relating to that player.
In the fourth encoding level, the clips and the individual players are evaluated and assigned a rating, which is also entered into the database. The present invention includes an optional rating service which can provide ratings of individual plays or players. This service can be distributed as an on-demand service, or can be distributed as part of a database that can be updated, as desired by the User.
Database updates, and any other statistics or information are entered into the database in the fifth encoding level. The present invention uses a SuperFill process to automatically reuse data which will remain constant for a group of clips, or for all clips in a game. A User can then access the database and display selected information and clips from the database.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the End-User GUI is adapted for display on a dedicated console that permits the User to view selected information using a first display screen while simultaneously displaying some or all of this information to at least one other person using a second display screen. The first display screen displays the statistics, video, and complete features of the User GUI. The second display screen is preferably a rotatable audience display screen that displays only the video clip display.
The present invention includes powerful xe2x80x9cintelligentxe2x80x9d search features that permit a User to search the database according to numerous predefined and customized criteria. For example, The User can use the End-User GUI of the present invention to search the database for information and video clips selected according to searchable criteria. Such criteria include, but are not limited to, player name, a particular game or games, type of play, play rating, and contract status. Information about a selected player such as statistics, activity, and injury reports can also be displayed. In addition, the User can view and sum any combination of game play statistics.
The End-User GUI includes displays for such features as a player search, player statistics, player information, View Time Control, and video screen box. The User can configure the appearance of the End-User interface using a User Preferences GUI. The present invention also permits the User to select and save custom view sets of video clips, and to control the video display by selecting the number of video clips, and the total viewing time.
The present invention includes a play loop function that permits the User to automatically return to the beginning of a selected video clip. The present invention also permits the User to select the order of play for the clips and to select the camera view displayed. The User can switch this camera view during play or can replay a clip from a different camera view. The present invention includes a view selection feature that displays a video clip from a view that is determined by such factors as the position of a selected player, or the type of play.
The present invention also provides an isolation play mode in which the User will view only a selected portion of a video clip. Furthermore, the present invention uses a novel encoding scheme to permit the viewing of MPEG format video clips in a form of slow motion.